Solo
is the last descendant of the ancient civilization of Mu, and very proud of the fact. While normally a solitary individual (his independence streak is arguably his defining quality), he recently was joined by a Wizard named Laplace, though Solo does not use him to EM Wave Change. Instead, he can Wave Change on his own - this form is known as Rogue (Burai - ブライ - in the Japanese version), and is registered under Project TC as Transcode 002. Solo's origins differ significantly between the games and the anime. Personality One of Solo's defining characteristics is an aversion to, if not outright hatred of, the idea of friendship and loyalty - the farthest he will allow any relationship to proceed is to a mimicry of craftsman and tool, which may explain his relationship with Laplace, whose presence at first seems to contradict his solitary attitude. Following his idea of using others as tools, he does not seem to mind the idea of doing work to benefit another, so long as it benefits him as well, which is probably why he spent a great deal of time working with Dr. Vega. Capcom has stated that Solo's EM Wave Changed form, Rogue, references both ProtoMan.EXE and Bass.EXE, recombining several aspects of the two characters in one. From Bass, Rogue inherits a dark color-scheme, signature method of protection, a significant disdain for those around him, and a particular, exclusive rivalry with their own timeline's Mega Man. On the other hand, while Bass' primary focus is obtaining as much power as he can, Rogue's focus on power is more a case of obsessive self-improvement to the exclusion of other factors - his initial response to gifts of power is rejection, whereas Bass is not known to have any such compulsion. Likewise, ProtoMan's contributions to Rogue's character are his preference for blades and short-range offense, his tenacity in situations that would annihilate lesser warriors, both have teamed up with their own respective Mega Man at least once, and Rogue's rare tendency to act on Mega Man's behalf, which would normally be against his nature. Appearance Solo exhibits what is seen as a very unnatural appearance to modern Japan, though he seems to be recognizable as perhaps a young teenager, close to Subaru in age. His hair is long, white, and unkempt, which contrasts sharply with his tanned skin. Further increasing his ominous presence are his red eyes (described as having the capability to suck the heat from the surroundings) and a facial marking like a red bolt of lightning trailing down his cheek from his left eye. Solo's garb is limited to one bodysuit (perhaps a Murian uniform), primarily colored black with linear cyan patterns proceeding from around his stomach to the tips of his feet; the sleeves, however, are brown and end in orange cuffs, and woven across the chest is the crest of Mu in yellow. He also sports a pair of earings evoxative of ancient south Ameroupan culture, maybe Mayan or Aztec (though very likely to be Murian as well). As Rogue, Solo's garb is traded for a black catsuit running down from his jawline, with the crest of Mu remaining across his chest, though now in crimson red. The catsuit runs uninterrupted along each limb until crossing the elbows and knees, at which point, with the exception of his right arm, they are further covered in sturdy black armor, each further alloyed with the red Wave-Ride Boost System (which takes the form of a slotted red coil with a single red spine proceeding from itself). His right arm, by comparison, bears only the Darklight Harvester, a thick dark bracelet that turns his right fist and forearm into a mass of wreathing purple flames. His throat is guarded by a silver neck-guard, somewhat similar to a gorget. He also bears two knobbed spaulders seemingly of the same material. His helmet bears a striking similarity to Mega Man's; excusing its black and red color-scheme, it too is only a partial guard, and reveals his hair in its entirety - however, instead of altering the color Solo's hair, Rogue's hair instead flies straight upwards. Also of note is that Rogue's helmet too bears a visor - in answer to Mega Man's own Visualize Visor, Rogue bears the Wave Predictor, a dark purple, X-shaped visor that seems to be layered across Rogue's helmet instead of being inserted into it like Mega Man's. History Game History Mega Man Star Force 2 Solo's hatred of strong relationships spawns from his childhood, when he was tormented maliciously for his odd appearance by large groups of people who would relentlessly gang up on him. As he grew up, he discovered that, while they were stronger in groups, when people were caught off-guard and alone, they became weak and helpless, which inspired him to grow in personal strength to the exclusion of all other factors. The power for his EM Wave Change ability is supposedly drawn from the "lonely voids in people's hearts", which may be the source of the "loneliness waves" that drew the FM-ian soldiers to their human partners in Star Force. Also a key driving motive of Solo's is his Murian heritage - he has known for quite some time that he is Mu's sole survivor, though the calamity that befell the tribes of Mu remains unknown to him. In his quest to restore the nation of Mu to greatness, he ends up hunting down Murian technology, which in turn leads him to cross paths with Dr. Vega and her associates. Noting that they have the same goal (to revive the source of Mu itself - Le Mu), Vega suggested they work together, and Solo acquiesced, deciding it would be more efficient. Solo first encountered Geo at the Grizzly Peak Resort, and warned him not to get involved too far with the UMAs for his own sake. Geo responded almost cluelessly, not knowing enough about the situation to know what Solo was talking about. Later, Vega sent Solo out on assignment to retrieve a number of artifacts from a museum exhibit on the Lost Tribes of Mu, and had Hollow offer him the "Kamikakushi". Solo's immediate response was to refuse the gift, though he accepted it upon hearing that it was an old piece of Murian technology with access to the "Un-Dimension" and could act as a storage vehicle. When Solo struck the museum, his efforts to absorb the whole of the exhibit were thwarted by Mega Man and Harp Note, who happened to be there on a date. Furious at his failure, and especially at the loss of the OOPArt, Solo began to hunt down information about Mega Man, in an attempt to find him, eventually discovering that Mega Man usually appeared when people were in danger. Armed with this knowledge, Solo launches an assault on the entire town of Echo Ridge with the Kamikakushi - having drawn Mega Man out, he appeared from a kamikakushi-born black hole in the sky, suddenly exhibiting enough sheer power to knock Mega Man off of his feet. Solo demanded the OOPArt, revealing himself to be the one behind the theft at the museum and also tossing off a disparaging remark about how unbelievable it was that he could best Hyde. When Mega Man wondered if he's one of Hyde's friends, Solo snapped at him and ordered him to shut his mouth: he doesn't need friends, and he doesn't need Mega Man's presumptions. He warned Mega Man that he will never be able to use the OOPArt - at best, it would destroy him - and demanded he just hand it over now. Omega-Xis replied that that would be impossible - considering he'd actually eaten it. Solo didn't care in the slightest, saying he will simply tear it out before bringing out an Ancient Star Carrier, which Mega Man and Omega-Xis recognized from their encounter with Hyde. Solo revealed he has no need for EM Bodies to help him in a fight, and, indeed, the thought of anyone helping him in a fight makes him sick - it's not in his blood. Immediately following this, he enacted EM Wave Change, claiming it to be through sheer will - this is the power he was born with. Before the fight began, Geo's friends all appeared, which Solo responded dishearteningly too, actually cast them into the Un-Dimension. In his attempt to save his friends, Mega Man squared off against Rogue, but was soundly beaten in a matter of moments. Rogue disparaged him some more, and then offered to get rid of Mega Man's friends for him, forcing them further into the Un-Dimension. Mega Man demanded he bring them back, and Solo responded by continuing to attack him, in attempt to prove that Mega Man's friends were preventing him from becoming strong. Surprisingly, Mega Man's continued defiance actually invoked the power of his OOPArt, and when Rogue realized it may have originated from his bonds to his friends, he declared Mega Man to be the kind of person he can't stand - thus began their first true battle. Following his first loss, Rogue prepared for a continued struggle when Hollow recalled him, citing the fact that he had been injured. After a moment, Solo decided to follow his orders, despite his initial hesitation to the idea of running away, and promised they will meet again. He also revealed his name is Solo, and that he (Mega Man) should remember it, for he would be defeated by the owner of the name. After returning, Solo makes his report - revealing he had found the OOPArt in Mega Man's possession. Hyde, despite his stated desire to not be rude, made a few disparaging comments about Solo's power - Vega calmed the enraged Solo and pointed out that the OOPArt was an exceedingly dangerous weapon and had actually destroyed its own tribe. Hyde made the suggestion that Solo not be allowed to work further on his own, which Solo objected violently to, declaring Mega Man to be his opponent alone. Vega allowed Hyde to proceed with his own plan, and Solo advanced on Vega, only to be blocked suddenly by Hollow. Vega said not to become angry - he is entirely free to work alone, just as he has always done; she does, however, wish that he accompany them and subscribe to their methods. Following the failure of Hyde's plan and the revelation that Mega Man had mastered the OOPArt, Solo only scoffed at his associates. Hollow, anticipating his desire to return to fighting Mega Man, warned Solo to remain calm, but he wasn't sure that Solo had the power to defeat him. Solo immediately took offense to the idea - though Hollow maintained his position by citing the deathly power of the OOPArt. Vega stepped in and suggested the one way she knew that could match the OOPArt, offering him the Indie Proof, which Solo rejected as "help". Vega said it was a shame, since he's the only one of them that could actually use it. Solo nonetheless brushed her off, and Hyde reprimanded Solo, telling him he should respect her. Vega said not to worry, as they could use Solo's power anyway. She then revealed knowledge of an ancient tribe of people who still believe in Mu, asking Solo to handle the mission. He gave his assent, and as he left, Vega points out that Mu had a bond with that land that he might find interesting. Solo makes no remark and leaves. He appeared in the country of Whazzap before an amnesiac Bud (under the identity of "Budicus", the herald of Mu), highly incensed at what was inherently and obviously a lie - and again with the aim to slay, unaware that Bud too was being taken advantage of by the local Shaman. Mega Man intervened and fought him - Rogue lost again, not having grown in power since their last contest, while Mega Man had since actualized the power of the OOPArt. After his return in defeat, Vega again proffered the Indie Proof; this time, however, Hollow explained that only one who has no bond to any other could use item, and Solo, galled into action, accepted the item. Unfortunately, his body his had trouble becoming accustomed to the power of the Indie Proof, and spent a great deal of time in agony. When Rogue awoke and appeared in Wilshire Hills, his power had ascended to a much higher level - in their newest battle, Mega Man couldn't hope to damage him in the slightest. The only thing preventing Rogue (EX) from killing Mega Man was a timely intervention by Harp Note; Rogue disappeared until Harp Note led Mega Man to the center of the Bermuda Maze, the resting place of Mu. There, Mega Man fought and defeated Hollow, only for Rogue to appear again - in a hasty attempt to save him, Harp Note blasted Mega Man away, only for him to return to the fight. When they fought this time, however, Mega Man had not only reinstated his Brother Band with Harp Note, they had reinforced it, giving Mega Man the power to not only to match Rogue EX but to defeat him. The effort, however, exhausted both of them - allowing Dark Phantom the opportunity to step in and retrieve the OOPArt from Mega Man's fallen body. Rogue again disappears until Dr. Vega launches her bid to gain control of the continent of Mu, at which point their mutual interest diverges rapidly. While Rogue too desired the resurrection of Mu, he does not warm up to the idea of Vega establishing herself as queen. He breaks off from the Neo Mu Empire (which now consists primarily of Vega and Hollow, Hyde having been abandoned by Vega following his defeat). As Mega Man approaches the Great Shrine of Le Mu, Rogue and Hollow again appear - for a moment, Mega Man gets caught up in their fight, Hollow summoning a portal to the Un-Dimension and attempting to absorb them all into its depths; Rogue, stating he has no intention of letting Mega Man provide any help or partnership, frees Mega Man from the Un-Dimension by punching him free. Rogue continues his fight against Hollow in the Un-Dimension as Mega Man fights against Le Mu above them. At one point near the end of the fight, Rogue lands a strike against Hollow that ends up cleaving the upper portion of Hollow's robe off, revealing a startlingly human face beneath it. Before anything else can be done, Hollow is called to Vega, leaving Rogue within the Un-Dimension. Rogue does not remain trapped, however, managing to leave just in time to escape from the crumbling country. In the aftermath, Solo is revealed as having brought Mega Man to his hometown of Echo Ridge, excusing himself from commitment to his action by claiming Mega Man's "unconscious body was blocking his way out." Later, however, as if to directly deny any claim toward a change in his position, Rogue again challenges Mega Man to another fight in the Whazzap Ruins (not far from where Gemini Spark was training) having ascended to Rogue SX in an attempt to figure out whether or not his power, born of solitude, was superior to Mega Man's power, born of kinship. However, following this battle, and any of the subsequent rematches, Rogue maintains his stance on the subject, vowing to defeat Mega Man one day. Mega Man Star Force 3 In Mega Man Star Force 3, Solo is not quite as hateful towards Mega Man as he was in his first appearance, even going so far as to work directly together side-by-side (on his own suggestion). However, he still maintains his solitary attitude, coming and going as he is wont to do. Curiously, he reveals he has taken up a partner, a combat Wizard named Laplace. Solo's presence was first hinted at when Arthur ("Ace") C. Eos officially formed the Satella Police Commandos, essentially a team of "super heroes", not unlike the Justice League or the Avengers, made up of of warriors who could EM Wave Change. During the initial debriefing, Ace hinted at another person the Satella Police had been hounding after in the hopes of getting him to join. This desire is indeed strong within the Satella Police, with at least one officer following the target so strenuously that the he ended up sustaining severe injuries from the target's retaliation. The first appearance, however, would be as Rogue, who interrupted a brewing confrontation between Mega Man and Jack Corvus by way of an attempt on the latter's life, casting the Laplace Blade through the space Jack Corvus had been occupying only a second before. Rogue appeared before them, demanding that Jack Corvus take him to his leader. Jack, who had no such desire (and remembering King's strict warnings about the Murian survivor), disappears. Mega Man takes advantage of the silence afterwards to attempt to thank Rogue, only to be quickly cut off, Rogue calling him naive and informing him that nothing had changed: the only reason he wasn't concerning himself with checking Mega Man off his hit-list at the moment was because he was more concerned with Dealer - he again asserted he had no intention of working with him, and told him to inform the Satella Police as well; he disappeared, leaving Mega Man wondering what exactly was going on. At least a few of his questions were answered when he made his report to Ace, who in turn revealed that Solo was supposed to be the final member of the Commandos; his decision to turn them down was severely disappointing. Almost immediately after, Solo made a personal appearance at National WAZA HQ - the Satella Police quickly ask him again to join the Commandos, only for him to turn them down. At proceeded heckling, Solo seemed to give in, stating he would join if he was captured - the Satella Police immediately summoned their battle Wizards and order an attack. Solo reciprocated in kind, summoning Laplace (Omega-Xis noting him to be simultaneously beyond his experience of Wizards and immensely powerful) who, in the instant of his appearance, dealt enough damage to render the Satella Wizards incapable of continuing engagement, forcing them to retire. The second wave of battle Wizards instead surrounded Solo, prompting him to attack - Laplace, instead of assisting with Wave Change, changed into the wicked, black Laplace Blade (the same that Rogue had used against Jack Corvus), which, in a single swipe blasted all the Satella Wizards away. He then scoffed at the Satella Police, announcing he had "no desire to work with such weak cockroaches", and threatening "game over" to anyone foolish enough to continue hounding him - Geo, Bud, and Sonia, who saw the display, were simply overwhelmed. He then addressed Mega Man (though Geo was in human form), informing him that he had his own trump card to use on Dealer, and that he shouldn't get in the way - he revealed that Dealer has taken Mu technology, and has thus needed to be destroyed. He repeated his warning to not get involved over the issue as he left. He reappeared not long after, audaciously lounging in the midst of Geo's classroom, waiting for the increasingly crazed Jack Corvus, who planned on attacking Geo at school (and when Geo didn't appear where expected, he instead tried to raze the building to the ground). However, the electronic classroom doors had all been sealed as a result of the large amounts of Noise, prompting Solo to seek the nearest Wave Station as the fastest way to the roof. After verifying the location of the Wave Station on the first floor with Zack Temple, he used the Laplace Blade to blast a hole through the floor down to the Teacher's Lounge, and then another through the wall of the Lounge into the main hallway - unfortunately, the vast Noise presence prevented anyone but him and Mega Man from proceeding to the roof, where Luna Platz and Wolf Woods were struggling to prevent Jack Corvus' assault. After Pulsing In, the two warriors discovered the presence of strange Noise Waves preventing their progress. Within these Waves were strange creatures made of Noise that Rogue had encountered sometime previously, and which had nearly killed him - much to his displeasure, Rogue informed Mega Man they needed to work together, with Mega Man clearing away the excess volatile Noise to allow Rogue the chance to strike at the beast. They fought four such battles, each increasingly difficult, and the final one unyielding to Rogue's repeated strikes, requiring Mega Man to intervene. Clearly incensed at this incident, and likewise at Mega Man's optimistic attitude regarding the upcoming contest with Jack Corvus, Rogue immediately dropped all pretenses of charity and teamwork, proceeding to attack Mega Man. This battle, like many before, resulted in Rogue's loss; Rogue disappears, his interest and ability to capture Jack Corvus now insufficient to prompt action. Shorn of leads - his interest in Jack Corvus being primarily that the hotheaded member of Dealer was the most likely to leave a trail leading to the organization - Solo could be found waiting by the bed of hibiscus in front of Alohaha Castle. Any attempts from Geo to communicate would usually result in the two bashing heads as Mega Man and Rogue, and no matter how many times he would lose, Solo would maintain that the reason for his loss was a personal act of negligence on his part, and non-indicative of their true might. He would remain in that location for some time, leaving only for two occasions. During the Commandos' assault on Dealer's Secret Shelter, Mega Man ended up needing to scale the massive, two or three stories tall Crimson Machine - each time he approached a control unit, he ended up needing help from his allies to escape the final defensive measures of the unit (which even went so far as to necessitate the sacrifice of the group of Satella Wizards that had joined the raid team) - eventually, Mega Man made his way through the final zone of the Crimson Machine, discovering the Master Control system to be the piece of Murian tech Solo had described - and also to hold the most powerful defensive system of all. Left completely without mercy, Mega Man was undoubtedly surprised when the system shut itself down; as he Transed Out of the system and proceeded to the interior sanctum of the shelter, Rogue silently recalled the Laplace Blade from where it had been embedded headlong into the hardware of the Machine, his primary goal accomplished. Rogue made his next appearance in the bowels of Meteor G, where his sole act was to slay Corvus and Virgo, who had turned on Jack and Queen Tia when the latter pair decided to abandon their designs for Meteor G, which left the FM-ian criminals as the last remaining members of Dealer. His self-appointed mission to destroy Dealer fulfilled, he left for Earth - he did, however, accede to Mega Man's request that he bear Jack and Queen Tia home, though he threatened to abandon them if they slowed him down. As Mega Man's fight with the Crimson Dragon concluded, he set to work destroying Meteor G - the effort left him stranded in space as Geo, surrounded by Lee Stern's Real Wave Barrier. Kelvin Stelar sent out a massive call to every Hunter-VG on Earth, asking for every human on Earth to set the same Purpose - essentially creating the world's largest Team, entirely dedicated to bringing Geo home. Solo, who, alongside Queen Tia and Jack, had ended up in Echo Ridge, also heard the call - startlingly, he assents to Jack's proposal for the three of them to use Dealer's Orbital Base to locate Mega Man, citing the fact that their battle had not been brought to a conclusive end. Solo would disappear for a time, though he was growing ever stronger. He reappeared during Mega Man's hunt of the enigmatic Sirius, administrator of the Black Hole Server - this time, however, they were as enemies. While Rogue too had designs on Sirius, his and Mega Man's plans diverged on a crucial detail: Rogue's plan revolved around retrieving the "Mu Metal", something that Sirius had stolen and which Rogue planned alloying to the Laplace Blade, which would enhance it in a way that Rogue decided not to divulge. However, in order to safely retrieve the Mu Metal, Rogue and Laplace would have to wait for its cycle to force it free of Sirius' body (which would allow it to be captured and retrieved, something impossible to accomplish if Sirius were destroyed while the Metal remained within him), which was to take place in about two days - which would be long enough for the Server to consume Planet FM, something Mega Man had been fighting tooth and nail to prevent. While their conflict was inevitable, Mega Man was not quite as aversive to Rogue's attitude as he had been in their past encounters: he instead cited Rogue's bond to Mu as the source of his motivation, changing the conflict's nature into a contest of whether Mega Man's bonds to his Brother Cepheus and his planet or Rogue's bonds to Mu were stronger. Almost as if caught off guard, Rogue denied Mega Man's interpretation of events, instead claiming he was going to destroy Mega Man simply because it would be fun. (Laplace inserted something unintelligible into the conversation at this point, prompting Rogue to say "Shut up"). Their contest, for which Rogue had attained the title "Z", ended in another loss for the Murian, though also a change in Rogue's outlook - the warrior now viewed Mega Man with grudging respect, having prior to their fight acknowledged his ability to make decisions like a man, and then having acknowledged Mega Man as the one capable of protecting his bonds. That said, Rogue also stated that words would never bring them together - he quickly allowed Mega Man passage to the Black Hole Server, though his departure left Mega Man wondering if he did the right thing. Nonetheless, Mega Man continued on, eventually defeating the surprisingly childish Sirius, who, in a final act of spite, transferred the Mu Metal into Mega Man's body (though no known power-up was derived from the event), with the sole intent of dooming him to eternal combat with Rogue. However, while the Murian certainly claimed the event as another reason to delete Mega Man, he said he could wait until the crest (the form taken by the Mu Metal when seperated from its host) rose from his body, allowing Mega Man the oppertunity to celebrate his defeat of Sirius. Such a contest does indeed occur between them later - Mega Man's and Rogue's last known conflict was within the confines of the Meteor G Control Cyber Core. Much to their dismay, Geo and Omega-Xis discovered that Rogue had gained a great new power - having adopted the title of "ZZ", he now wielded mastery of Noise, thus promising the greatest fight yet. This Rogue had changed likewise in demeanor - he was somewhat more mechanical in his bearing, claiming it was the Noise within him that sought to battle Mega Man. Despite Mega Man's fears, he proved able to match and defeat Rogue, if only to prevent himself from being slain, for Rogue entered the battle with every intent of annihilation, and prevention from doing so only elicited mockery of the meager Link Power and Purpose from Rogue ZZ (in spite of his defeat). Solo was last seen wandering through a desert area (possibly near Whazzap) with Laplace beside him, some time near the end of the game. He is seen in what appears to be a grayscale photograph, displayed with several others depicting the events following this latest adventure. Rogue has minor appearances in the game Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting Star, appearing in one of ClockMan.EXE's attacks, as a secret Battle Chip, and in the Program Advance Double Hero 2. Anime History In the (as yet undubbed) anime, Shooting Star Rockman Tribe, Solo is likewise solitary in nature, but this incarnation portrays him as having opposite intentions regarding Mu, and as much less inclined to speak than his original appearance (most of his speech happens in his final appearance). Another change is that he does not ally himself with Orihime as in the games - indeed, with the exception of Orihime and Empty, all of the antagonists from the game are working independently. The character is only ever referred to in the show as Burai. Burai's first appearance was in a theater-scale classroom in Densan University, where he interrupted a meeting between Orihime, Subaru, and War Rock by blasting a hole in the wall. He wasted no time in attacking, and the blast from his Flying Knuckle strike sent Orihime flying, though she was saved by Empty catching her - Rock Man, by comparison, emerges by frequency-jumping to a separate hall. Burai gave chase and immediately summoned a blade from within his left arm (which he didn't seem to require the Indie Proof for, considering the lack of his barrier). Burai quickly and easily dominated Rock Man, his attacks proving disastrously powerful and his reflexes like lightning, as exemplified when he dodged a vulcan from arguably point-blank range. Orihime, in an attempt to discover what's happening, immediately began running through all the data she contains in one of her computers, where she discovered the symbol on the warrior's chest to be the Crest of Mu. As Rock an continued to be overwhelmed, Orihime and Empty activate and fire the Jamming Beam, a weapon designed to specifically interfere with Denpa lifeforms and humans in Denpa-Henkan and cause significant injury, which allowed Rock Man to get in one final shot and defeat him. In the immediate aftermath, Orihime was able to provide the answer to Subaru's question - the warrior's name was Burai. His initial attempt to take back the Sword of Berserk from Rock Man's body thwarted, Burai resorted to watching over the city. As Solo, he sought out Subaru with the intent of again attempting to retrieve the Sword, even actually getting into a (completely one-sided and quickly ended) brawl with a pair of thugs who made the mistake of getting in his way - he discovered Subaru in the park by a small concert bowl, discussing the OOPArts with Misora, (and Cancer Bubble). As he approaches, Solo Wave Changed into Burai, startlingly without the assistance of another Denpa lifeform. The ensuing fight between Rock Man, Harp Note, Cancer Bubble and Burai, while less one-sided than earlier, was nonetheless clearly in Burai's favor - it is not until War Rock's near death that the Sword of Berserk activated and called forth the power of Thunder Berserk that he was forced to retreat. He resumed his watch, cursing the power of Berserk. Burai struck again when Rock Man and Phantom Black were examining ancient pyramids for hints of Mu - Hyde and Ghost largely had the run of the place, for the Sword of Berserk had again activated and the power of Thunder Berserk was acting independently of Subaru's control. The Murian appeared just as Subaru and War Rock successfully canceled out of Thunder Berserk, and his attack again prompted them to combine into Rock Man. Despite their efforts, Burai again quickly dominated them - displaying his new usage of Battle Cards in the process. Subaru was thrashed so thoroughly, he lost consciousness, leaving War Rock to try and defend them as Rock Man. This too failed, and Burai again prepares to kill War Rock for the Sword; unbeknownst to either War Rock or Burai, however, Subaru was undergoing the Trial of the Sword - success comes at the last possible moment, allowing Subaru, now with the full power of Thunder Berserk at his command, to defeat Burai. Burai's final earthly appearance was in the depths of an underground cave beneath an ancient Shinobi village, where Rock Man, Phantom Black, and Yeti Blizzard had all gathered in search of the final OOPArt: Shinobi. In the ensuing contest, the presence of all three OOPArts' powers (Yeti Blizzard having claimed Dinosaur earlier), summoned forth a horde of Denpa Virii and partially opened the gate of Mu itself, unleashing wave after wave of energy. In the ensuing confusion, Phantom Black stole the Shinobi OOPArt and Burai, who had approached the gate in an attempt at damage control, was summoned beyond the gate, which disappeared after retrieving him. When Rock Man and Harp Note passed through the gate and entered Mu, they (sans War Rock, who, having disappeared, left Subaru) discover Solo sleeping within the confines of a strange capsule, recovering from his wounds. When Harp Note accidentally released him from the capsule, the exhausted Solo immediately began to warn them of Ra Mu. As they continued to discuss, Solo revealed he was the last survivor of Mu, and had sealed himself away with Ra Mu in an attempt to prevent its return - a task that had cost the lives of all of his friends. His duty binding him to prevent Ra Mu's return, he sought to prevent the activation of the three OOPArts, each of which contained a portion of Ra Mu's power. As Orihime, Empty, and their new cohorts Yeti Blizzard and Phantom Black moved to place the three OOPArts into position, Solo again became Burai and went after them. Burai appeared just after Orihime began summoning Ra Mu, his attempts to stop her confounded by her ever-ready servant, Empty. Their battle, perhaps one of the most intense Burai had been seen in, took them both to the outer reaches of the Murian continent - try as he might, though, the exhausted Burai proved no match for his opponent, and was eventually found with Empty's hand clasped around his throat. Burai was saved by Orihime calling Empty back to her to prevent Rock Man from interfering with the Sword of Berserk, though Empty proved unable to stop Rock Man from engaging all three OOPArts and becoming the Tribe King, who was so powerful that Empty was not only defeated in an instant, he was cloven clear in two and left to fall to burning ruin. When Rock Man, Harp Note, Cancer Bubble, and Goyouda Heiji (who had ended up on the Murian continent by mistake earlier) escaped back to Earth, they discovered Ra Mu had awakened and was attempting to tear its way through the gate. Burai appeared and, using the last vestiges of his strength to hold Ra Mu off, instructed Rock Man to seal the portal using the power of the OOPArts, telling him the stones would know what to do in response to Rock Man's hesitation. As Tribe King Rock Man unleashed the Kaiser Dragon Breaker, Burai disappeared with Ra Mu back through the gate, which likewise vanished. The final fate of the remnants of Mu are unknown. Abilities Unlike many in the cast, Solo is a trained warrior in his own right, having learned to fight when he was younger in response to the gangs of people who hounded him. Wave Changing into Rogue simply amplifies his strength and speed; his Wave Change itself is unique in that he does not need an AM-ian, FM-ian, or UMA partner - it apparently is derived from his Murian blood, which also gives him the ability to see and use waves. It is unknown, however, for how long Solo was able to Wave Change into Rogue, for Rogue's first appearance occurred following the raid on the museum, and among the stolen items was an Ancient Star Carrier. Nonetheless, he proves to be a natural at fighting as Rogue, providing MegaMan with a great challenge during each of his appearances. With little exception, his default attacks all reflect his personal philosophy - punches, kicks, and sword attacks each serving as an extension of Rogue himself - in stark contrast to Mega Man's default long range, impersonal attacks, case in point the Mega Buster. When Rogue gains the Indie Proof (specifically, the Indie Darkness), from Hollow, he gains several of his iconic abilities, most notably his Mu Rejection Barrier and the greatsword he wields in EX form and on. He proves to have deathly skill with a blade, despite having no known training with one; also of note is that, when wielding a blade, Rogue carries the blade in his hand, in contrast to Mega Man, whose blades extend from his arms. In addition, Rogue seems to have no problems in dealing with Noise, as he is somehow immune to its negative effects in stark contrast with Rockman and his allies - As Rogue ZZ, he gains the ability to weaponize it. In the Anime, he learns how to use Battle Cards, though this ability is not mentioned in either game. Equipment As Solo Kamikakushi: This strange, dark sphere was presented to Solo by Hollow. It contains the the ability to summon what appear to be miniature black holes that serve as portals to the strange zone known as the Un-Dimension. Solo has been shown to use it as a means of travel, which only adds to the characteristics shared by the Un-Dimension and a Noise Wave. It is unknown what happened to the Kamikakushi after the second game, as Solo no longer uses it. Ancient Star Carrier: An ancient, handheld device that bears a striking resemblance to the modern Star Carrier, which was invented by Tom Dubius. Solo uses this to Wave Change into Rogue; it is unknown for how long he has owned this piece of equipment. Hunter-VG: Sometime following the events of Star Force 2, Solo received a Hunter-VG, which he now uses to EM Wave Change instead of his original Star Carrier - this Hunter-VG gave him the Trans-Code: 002. Perhaps the Hunter-VG enhances Rogue's Wave Change as much as it does Mega Man's, to judge from the fact that at his least powerful in Star Force 3, he is still stronger than his original appearance in Star Force 2. Laplace Blade: The form Laplace takes when not aiding Rogue in true Wizard form. It has proven to be far more useful then Rogue's old form, not in part because Solo may use it without needing to Wave Change. As Rogue *(According to the official Satellite Server website.) Wave Predictor: When Solo wave changes, he gains a visor which detects and displays information about EM Energy present in the atmosphere. By tracking the flow of energy, this device makes it possible to predict an opponent's movements, giving Rogue a strategic advantage in battle. Crest of Mu: The Crest emblazoned across Rogue's chest denotes lineage that can be traced back to the continent of Mu. It is believed that Rogue was created using Mu technology, most of which has yet to be fully understood. In addition, because the crest itself emits considerable amounts of EM Energy, it is theorized that it forms the foundation for Rogue's defensive EM Barrier. Darklight Harvester: Rogue wears a bracelet on his right arm that allows for the control and manipulation of dark combat energy; this device can transform and release this combat energy in a wide variety of forms, and can also convert it into a formidable sword. Were it not for the Darklight Harvester, dark energy would run wild, even injuring Rogue himself. * While the official website from which these descriptions were taken refers to it as Darklight, it is possible that the "dark energy" that the Harvester controls is in fact Noise, which would explain his immunity to and later weaponization of Noise. Perhaps Darklight is the specific type of Noise known to be unique to the Rogue Noise transformation. Indie Darkness: The force of pure darkness imbibed with a small tablet that Rogue accepted from Hollow and is bound to his right hand (within the flames of the Harvester) possesses an impossible-to-analyze structure, but appears to be imbued with a combat energy even stronger than EM Energy. Renowned for it's unparalleled destructive capabilities, this is Rogue's answer to Mega Man's OOPArt. It creates the Mu Rejection Barrier from the Crest's energy and provides Rogue with a large sword in combat, which he summons once his health gets low (he has since ignored the sword in favor of the Laplace Blade). It is currently unknown how the Indie Darkness and Laplace react to each other, as one of the main features of the Indie Proof is that it serves to prevent all contact with outside beings. Wave-Ride Boost System: Rogue is fully equipped with boosters on both of his legs and left arm, each of which shoot bursts of EM Energy, allowing him to move freely in all directions. These boosters take advantage of Rogue's already-advanced abilities, enabling an endless variety of moves that range from high-impact attacks to impossibly agile movements. Known Combat Techniques Mega Man Star Force 2 Rogue initially starts off only capable of a few attacks: *'Murian Combat:' Rogue jumps in front of the player and attacks with a combination of punches and a kick. As his power increases, so does the length of the combo. *'Ground Shockwave:' Using the power of the Darklight Harvester, Rogue uses an uppercut to fire off a powerful shockwave that travels down two columns. *'Flying Knuckle:' Using the power of the Darklight Harvester, Rogue launches a series of large, flaming fists from his own down the columns in a pattern. It is possible to dodge. *'Mu Rejection:' In his EX forms and above (after imbibing the Indie Proof), he gains an invisible EM Wave Barrier that blocks attacks that would otherwise injure him while he dodges around. It is easily ruptured, but is regenerated after every strike Rogue makes - under normal circumstances, it is only dropped during an attack, after which it immediately regenerates. (This move resembles Bass's Life Aura). *'Anti-Lock-on:' When Rogue's Mu Rejection is active, it is impossible to lock-on to him, even when utilizing Green Ninja's auto-lock function. *'EM Distortion: '(Anime only) Rogue's body can shift frequency on minute levels (insufficient to transport him between locations), even in the midst of combat; this allows him the capability to ignore even significant impact-based attacks such as swords or projectiles. He can also use this capability to pass through objects, a capability he often uses by thrusting his hand through an opponent and materializing it just enough to throw the opponent a fair distance. After he reaches half health or below in his EX forms and above, he also pulls out his sword, and trades his moveset to: *'Multi-Slash:' Rogue moves up to the player's position and performs several slashes, each at a different range. *'Sword Shockwave:' Rogue performs a Sonic Boom, similar to those done by ProtoMan in Mega Man Battle Network. *'Rogue Break:' Rogue's signature attack - he pauses in his assault for a moment, charging up a bit of energy before bringing it smashing down on a large area. This attack must be blocked, but not from the panel hit directly by the sword, which will shatter Mega Man's shield. Mega Man Star Force 3 Rogue is capable of the following in the third game: *'Murian Combat:' Rogue jumps in front of the player and attacks with a combination of punches and a kick. As his power increases, so does the length of the combo. *'Ground Shockwave:' Using the power of the Darklight Harvester, Rogue uses an uppercut to fire off a powerful shockwave that travels down all three columns. *'Flying Knuckle:' Using the Power of the Darklight Harvester, Rogue launches a patterned series of large, flaming fists from his own down the columns in a pattern. They cause confusion if they connect. When fighting RogueZZ, this attack is usually accompanied by Murian Combat or Ground Shockwave. *'Mu Rejection:' As v2 and above, he gains an invisible EM Wave Barrier that blocks attacks hthat would otherwise injure him while he dodges around. It is easily ruptured, but is regenerated after every strike Rogue makes - under normal circumstances, it is only dropped during an attack, after which it immediately regenerates. If Rogue is prevented from reseting to his usual pattern (i.e. he teleports 6 times and pulls off a fighting move) by being either paralyzed/frozen/bubbled, the barrier will not regenerate. *'Anti-Lock-on:' When Rogue's Mu Rejection is active, it is impossible to lock-on to him, even when utilizing an auto-lock function. *'Laplace Slash:' Rogue jumps to the center panel of the third column and strikes both rows in front of him with a slash of the Laplace Blade - unless blocked, this attack will paralyze Mega Man and set him up for a Combat/Shockwave/Knuckle series attack. *'Spin Blade:' Similar to the Battle Card, Rogue will disappear and the Laplace Blade will come flying through Mega Man's area at an angle. This slash will hit multiple times. It is possible to dodge this attack. *'Rogue Break:' Two panels in front of the player will flash. Rogue will then descend on the player, breaking the panels. This attack must be dodged. *'Blade Wrath:' Rogue disappears, and Mega Man must dodge two Spin Blade attacks from opposite directions, followed by the fully powered Rogue Break, which must be both dodged and blocked from a panel other than where Rogue's sword impacts the field. As with the regular Rogue Break, this breaks the affected panels. Etymology Gallery File:Solo2.jpg|Alternate art of Solo. File:Solo and Laplace.jpg|Sketch of Solo and Laplace. File:Roguemug.jpg|Mugshot of Rogue. File:SoloWP.jpg|Wallpaper of Solo. File:RogueWP.jpg|Wallpaper of Rogue fighting some unknown enemy. File:RogueWP2.jpg|Wallpaper of Rogue with the Laplace Blade. concept2_soloandbly.jpg|Solo Concept Art Sprites SoloTranRoguer.gif|Solo turning into Rogue. Trivia *Solo appears to have a inclination towards places of considerable antiquity, judging from the fact that two places he has been known to rest include the Whazzap Ruins and the court of Alohaha Castle. *The Kamikakushi that Solo is offered by Dr. Vega is actually based on the phenomenon of being spirited away in Japanese folklore. *Solo shows antipathy towards two individuals in particular, Mega Man and Hyde, particularly because they represent two results of the bonds he dispises. Whereas the power of bonds enables Mega Man to control and wield great power, Hyde's bonds are far more leechlike in nature. *As a possible moment of character development, one use of the Humor Word ability (Star Force 3) depicts Solo as distraught over someone having erased his save game data on Burger Quest, which is revealed to be Laplace's doing. *His name is mistakenly written as "Geo Solo" on the Star Force 3 USA website. Category:MegaMan Star Force characters Category:Humans Category:Project-TC